


Lord of Midnight

by syntaxanalyzer



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fae & Fairies, Hate to Love, M/M, Mates, Morally Ambiguous Character, SJM & holly black made me do this, ulterior motive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25314058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syntaxanalyzer/pseuds/syntaxanalyzer
Summary: Chanyeol is ambitious. Maybe Suho is the only way he could achieve his dreams. He is willing to gamble.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 15
Kudos: 27





	1. Glamour

Here is the thing, some people say that all they see in a battle is the opponent’s sword and that’s the trick to win any battle. But that’s not how it actually works. Maybe that’s how it is in swordplay but definitely not when you are actually at war. Chanyeol knows that. Like what if someone throws a spear at him while all his attention is tuned at his opponent’s sword. He is hyper aware of his surroundings. He is aware of the way Sehun’s sword cuts through wind, the way his own hand wielding his sword involuntarily moves to block the blow, the wind chimes dangling at the far end of their practice room. He is aware of every minute movement around him.

He has been practising warcraft all his life. The sound of swords clashing with one another is something Chanyeol enjoys listening to. It was the lullaby he was sung to since he was a little kid. When bored, he goes to the library to read books about war strategies. He likes to discuss war tactics and enjoys debating over politics between and within the courts. He likes to listen to stories and songs about ancient warriors. His sword ‘Victoria’ is his first best friend.

Apart from his own interest he also has reasons to be proficient in warcraft. After all, he is the son of the General of the Day Court.

Eldorado, the Fae lands of the West, is split into two courts. The day court and the night court. Both courts are not at war or anything, but they certainly are not in friendly terms. They just don’t openly go against each other, for they have enough enemies around them and also because the fae generally prefer diplomacy over pointless fighting. If they ever decide to meet at battle field, it will definitely be a bloodbath.

The East is under the jurisdiction of the faerie Queen Amara. To the North the Night court shares a border with the Witch Kingdom. Eldorado shares its Western border with the human lands, separated by the veil of Mist.

Mist is what hides the world of Faeries and Witches from the humans. In case, humans stumble upon the secrets of the fae world, the mist makes sure that they wake up thinking it was all nothing but a weird dream. But that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any interactions between humans and faeries. He himself is a living proof to that exception.

He notes the approaching footsteps but tries not to lose his focus on Sehun’s sword. Sehun stops swinging his sword midway and bows to the approaching figure. Chanyeol doesn’t need to turn around to know that it’s his mother. She must have something important to say to him or otherwise she wouldn’t be here. “You are holding the sword too loose”, his mother says as a way of greeting.

Chanyeol loves his Mom, she taught him how to fight, how to use your opponent’s weakness to your advantage in battle, how to turn your own weakness into a strength. She is his mentor. She is his harshest critic too. No matter how much he loves her, there is a part of him that hates her too. The part that wishes he knew more of his father. All he knows about his father is that he was a human. That makes him a demi fae.

“Sehun please excuse us”, she says in a voice full of authority. “Sure. I was going to leave anyway. I’ll meet you at school tomorrow”, Sehun says the last part to Chanyeol as he leaves. Chanyeol waits silently for him to leave. He is about to ask his mother about her sudden appearance when his mother says, “There is another revel next weekend but this one is far more important as this is the first one the new High Lord throws after his coronation. I expect you to be on your best behaviour. Make friends.”

“Great! Now that’s something I’m exceptionally good at. Making friends”, Chanyeol says it as sarcastically as possible. Making friends is not his strong suit. Annoying people, that he can do with perfection. 

“At least don’t make new enemies. I have things to discuss with the High Lord“, is all she says as she departs. She always spoke less. Actions meant more to her. He agrees with her on that. Especially when it comes to faeries.

Making friends. He knows how important having connections are. He knows that these are extremely important for someone like Chanyeol who is extremely ambitious and has sworn to reach the highest rank in the Day court someday. No one knows about this desire of his though. It’s a secret between his heart and mind. But it has always been there. The desire to wield power. He will never be able to wield magical power like the fae. But he wants to be able to have at least enough authoritarian power to be seen as their equal.

The problem is he is not good at making friends. But he is willing to try. He must try.

$$$

Next day at school as he sits beside Jongdae, his best friend, he ponders over how he should act at the upcoming revel. Jongdae is a human. He is Chanyeol’s best friend and partner in crime. Bearing offspring is rare amongst the fae. That is why faeries sometimes kidnap or take in abandoned human children to rise as their own.

As a demi fae Chanyeol himself does not resemble the faeries. No pointed ears, no canines, no slightly elongated and sharp features. Nor does he have their abilities. No enhanced speed, strength, vision, hearing etc. The list goes on. Maybe he will, once he settles but that is a huge question mark. He doesn’t want to think about those things now.

He is like any other human in this world of magic. Weak, can be easily enchanted, can’t see through glamour and a whole lot of other shortcomings that makes him another easy target for bullying. This is the reason why he wants to make it big in the court. This is exactly why he is ambitious.

Fae schools teach you all sorts of things that you may or may not need to lead your mortal or immortal life. At twenty one, you graduate from school to find out if the things you learnt will be of any use to survive amongst the blood thirsty faeries. The schools are the same for high fae, fae, demi fae and humans. It’s just that school life isn’t.

“Not again!”, Jongdae sighs to himself. Those fae idiots have once again enchanted their books into ravens that are currently pecking Jongdae’s head. “I can’t deal with these idiots. Once I ‘turn’, I’m going to send beasts made out of grimoires after these devils”, Jongdae says. Chanyeol reciprocates the sentiment. In a month, they both graduate and Jongdae gets to take the test. Truth be told, Chanyeol is way more terrified about the test than Jongdae seems to be.

“Aww Jongdae you really think you are going to survive the transformation, don’t you?”, says Liam. Infuriating as always. Liam is a high fae. He is also extremely arrogant and narcissistic. His father is the new High Lord’s brother. He is exactly the kind of person Chanyeol must try to be friends with. Too bad, they both hate each other.

Jongdae ignores him. There is no point in talking to them anyway. “What’s with you?”, Jongdae asks upon seeing Chanyeol not being his usual cheerful self. Sighing, Chanyeol says, “ My mom wants me to make friends at the revel next week. By friends she is not expecting me to hang out with people and enjoy my life more. But establish good relations with the high fae so I may not be a reason she loses the High Lord’s favour. It’s all politics. And I don’t know how to befriend the high fae. Like seriously had I known I would have made a friend here at school.”

“Relax, Sehun’s our friend, he is a high fae”, Jongdae is not wrong entirely. But Sehun is odd and that’s what made them friends. He hates everyone so he doesn’t mind hanging out with these two sad souls who are hated by everyone.

There are other humans and demi fae in his school, but they don’t suffer as much as these two. Yes, Chanyeol is the reason. He has a way of unknowingly annoying people. He is a tall giant and also has dyed his hair red, so he is pretty hard to miss. And he is a ‘problem-magnet’ as Sehun phrases it. Most importantly surrendering or walking away from a fight is something he would never do.

But he doesn’t say anything to Jongdae. He was only thinking of school life until now. The revel changes things. He knows that much. He tries his best to ignore thinking about the revel and mentally prepares himself for the next lecture on ‘Glamour & Enchantments’.

Only high fae can cast glamour. They are like illusions. Plays tricks with your mind. Enchantments are even more complex. They can actually make things real and real things fictional. Enchantments can be cast by all faeries according to their level of expertise and power.

The fae can glamour you so that you look like a toad to everyone but yourself or they can enchant you to actually turn into a frog till you get kissed by someone. They get creative with enchantments. It’s prohibited to practise them at school without supervision and that is the only thing stopping them from turning each other into weird creatures. They still do some petty ones for fun or to annoy when left unsupervised.

He already knows all that their professor has to say about glamour and enchantments. Thanks to the huge library in their mansion. Their professor is a short fae. He has a pale green tint to his skin. He is a nice person. Jongdae says his monotonous voice makes him sleepy. But Chanyeol doesn’t mind.

He goes on explaining about how to see through glamour. “It is possible to see through glamour. No matter how strong the glamour is. But you must be stronger to do so” , he finishes with this not so reassuring statement.

$$$

“Finally a class that I actually like!”, Sehun says as he approaches Jongdae and Chanyeol. Sehun likes this class because in one of their previous sessions an annoying fae kid had sniffed a certain flower and fainted. Chanyeol likes this class too for two main reasons. One, its outdoors and two, it is about poison. If he wants to secure a high position in the court he needs to know about the various kinds of poisons too. At least enough to save himself from one. The last high lord was in fact rumoured to be poisoned to death.

It’s actually about plants but special attention is given to the poisonous ones, ones that can cause hallucinations or the ones that are magical (some can turn you into sleeping beauty). Jongdae on the other hand, doesn’t like this class for a whole different reason. That is he doesn’t like their professor. While some people believe in love at first sight. Jongdae is someone who strongly believes in hate-at-first-sight.

That’s when they see the other students approaching. There he is, the one who unknowingly made it to Chanyeol’s hate-list. He comes along with the other high fae. Suho. Liam is saying something animatedly to him. Suho on the other hand is not even pretending to listen.

Suho is not rude or arrogant. From the countless number of times Chanyeol has secretly observed Suho, he knows that Suho sometimes zones out. Most often he is found lost in his thoughts.

The reason why Chanyeol hates Suho is simple. It has less to do with Suho and more to do with himself. He is …… jealous. That’s a secret he is taking with him to the grave. But Chanyeol knows that he is jealous. He had tried hard not to harbour jealousy but he failed time and time again.

Suho doesn’t need to please anyone because he comes from a powerful background. But he tries to be friendly. Welcoming smiles and polite greetings. He has a way with words. He can instantly turn anyone into his admirer. Also, he is exceptionally good looking. Another thing Chanyeol will not admit out loud. The fact that Sehun who hates anyone and everyone may have a crush on Suho adds fuel to Chanyeol’s already red-hot fire of envy. Even Jongdae is fond of Suho.

Most importantly, Suho doesn’t have to suffer the insults that demi fae or humans have to go through. He was born a high fae. He came from royalty. He has supernatural powers too. Chanyeol has not seen him use them. No one has. No one knows what his powers are as he, unlike Liam, doesn't like to show off. But Chanyeol knows that he is powerful. He can feel it. Suho kind of radiates power.

“So today we will learn about Atropa belladonna. Otherwise known as …….?”, their professor’s question momentarily breaks his thought flow. By the time, all have gathered around in the greenhouse. Chanyeol immediately shouts, “Nightshade!” His professor nods, “Yes, that’s right Chanyeol” and proceeds to explain about the specific plant. Chanyeol gives his customary smirk to Jongdae and looks around to find Suho looking at him. Suho offers him a small smile in return.

$$


	2. The Die Is Cast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will._ \- James Stephens

The lecture ends a little early today. Chanyeol usually takes the route along the main road to get back to his home. The General’s mansion is located close to the palace and that means it is secluded from the majority of other places. It’s a long journey and takes a few hours normally. The sky is unusually cloudy. It was not like this today morning. It was bright and sunny, just the way Chanyeol liked it. But now the clouds have gathered together, blocking out the sun completely. It looks like it's going to be a torrential downpour in another hour.

This is not common. Not in the day court. The day court always bears a bright sunny climate and gives a spring vibe almost all year round. Yes, it does rain. Seasons do come and go. But never to such an extent. He can’t help but wonder about how the last High Lord’s passing has brought a sullen mood upon not just the people of the Day court but the land as well. He knows how the fae lands and the ruling Lords are mutually dependent. The land and sky draws power from the High Lord while the High Lord’s own power comes from them.

Chanyeol doesn’t know much about the new High Lord. He was the late High Lord’s cousin. He can heal almost anything. He can also control light. That is his elemental power.

Chanyeol has seen him once or twice as a kid when he went with his Mom to meet the previous High Lord. He seemed like a gentle person. He was the one who had given Chanyeol his sword ‘Victoria’ and told him to use it wisely. When the rumours came that he may have had a hand in the late Lord’s passing, Chanyeol like most of the people had refused to believe in such a baseless claim. Yes, he did find the new alliance made by the High Lord with the night court a little too abrupt. But the night court has always hated the previous Lord so them welcoming a replacement is not something special or suspicious. The High Lord made his own intentions clear at the coronation. He appeared to genuinely want to build a better relationship with the night court after all these years of animosity between the two courts. The High Lord of the night court had also attended the coronation and left his youngest son to stay in the day court and study as a sign of them trusting the day court and wanting peace.

There he goes again. As always his thoughts somehow end up in Suho again. Since the son of the High Lord of the night court had come to stay and study in the day court, he also occupied a significant portion of Chanyeol’s mind. There are a lot of things that make him jealous about Suho but he also sometimes feels sorry for the prince for having to come and live in an enemy nation all alone. But that shred of sympathy does nothing to reduce his hatred. If anything he is annoyed about how he could come to a totally alien place and still go around as if he belonged right there. Chanyeol never found that sense of belonging. Not even in the court he was born into. Would life be different had he grown up in the human world ? His heart sometimes aches to venture beyond the veil. But Chanyeol is a fae in his mind and conduct. He can never mingle with the humans as one of them even if he resembles them in appearance.

By that time, it has begun to drizzle and he can feel the intensity of rain increasing steadily. So, he decides to take the abandoned route through the forest that would take him to the back entrance of the palace. He can then go from the palace to his mansion easily. They are close by and connected. It is the quicker way to get home. As it is an unexpected rain, he is not sure how long it will go on. He readies himself to face the forest.

$$$

It is raining heavily but he is extremely glad that at the least there is no lightning and thunder. For reasons unknown, Chanyeol’s mood is also reflecting the sky. He feels gloomy. He feels like some deep sorrow is churning his heart. He wants to cry out loud. But what is strange is he doesn’t feel like he is actually experiencing those emotions. He feels like he is merely mirroring the emotions. The way you feel after reading a sad story.

He somehow makes it through the denser parts of the forest. He doesn’t come this way often but it's not a new path to him. Luckily, he did not encounter any wild animal or vicious creature so far. He knows to handle faerie beasts. But it looks like no one is lurking behind the trees tonight. He needs to get home as soon as possible. The rain that initially poured like it was grieving, is now raining as if it is enraged. That thought adds speed to his steps. He is quite sure that he will make it out of the forest in another fifteen minutes.

That’s when he sees something on the small clearing nearby. Not something, someone. Maybe a fae. Or maybe a spirit. Curiosity and suspicion overtakes his caution. He gets as close as possible without being spotted. The figure seems familiar. But he cannot quite place who they are. He looks closely. Night has already fallen upon them and it is raining cats and dogs. He cannot see clearly. But the figure seems to be staring intently at the sky. Male, that much Chanyeol recognizes. He is sitting with his legs stretched in front of him. He sits there laid back, casual as if he is in a picnic. Something is alluring as well as strange about the scene in front of him. A lone figure sitting in a clearing amidst severe downpour, looking up at the clouded night sky, not even blinking. Chanyeol can barely keep his eyes open with the rain. But here is someone who is sitting as if nothing unusual is happening around him, absolutely unbothered.

That’s when Chanyeol’s inherent clumsiness comes to remind him of its presence. He stumbles on a twig. The rain would have made it impossible to hear the crunching sound. But when he regains his balance and looks around he can’t find the figure.

Chanyeol doesn’t go searching for that person. He is not that empty-headed. He is about to turn around and return when he feels something sharp being pressed into his back. It doesn’t take him more than a second to realise that it’s a knife. Before he could react, he is pushed against a nearby tree and a short knife is pressed against his throat.

“It's rude to sneak up on people. Did you not know that Chanyeol?”, Chanyeol hears his attacker say. He knows this voice. But it is too dark for him to see clearly. At the same time a lightning strikes across the sky. That light is enough for Chanyeol to see who has attacked him.

Suho’s ever-charming face is now full of fury. Chanyeol can’t see the warm smile that Suho usually gives everyone. Instead he is greeted with a cold calculating look. His eyes are full of menace. Now, this Suho reminds him of all the stories he has heard about the fae of the night court. Ruthless. That’s the word that can somewhat correctly explain how Suho looks right now. This Suho seems more fae like. Not the typical humane Suho he has seen. But somehow more believable and real.

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know it was you”, Chanyeol attempts to come up with a convincing reply.

He can hear a thunder roll in the distance. Suho is about to say something but stops himself abruptly. Chanyeol sees Suho’s eyes widen in surprise. No, not just surprise. He withdraws his hand almost as if Chanyeol burned him. There is pure shock and …. terror? in Suho’s eyes. “No… It can’t be…”, Suho says as he backs away from him. The words are not directed to Chanyeol. He is talking to himself. There are a whole lot of raw emotions in Suho’s eyes that Chanyeol can’t quite figure out.

Another lightning, shortly accompanied by thunder.

Just as suddenly as it came, the rain stops. Suho once again sports his usual calm and composed look. He smiles his typical gentle smile that Chanyeol finds annoying. But this time, Chanyeol is thoroughly terrified of that smile. All Suho says is, “I’m sorry.”

$$$

Chanyeol has no idea how he made it out of the forest. Literally no idea.

He is now standing in front of the castle’s back entrance. He can’t remember why he chose this forest route. The ground looks wet and muddy like it had just rained. He realises that he is drenched. But he doesn’t remember it raining or him deviating from his usual route. He decides that he probably took this route subconsciously. It’s a familiar enough route so his brain could have led him here unconsciously.

It takes him around another ten minutes to get past the guards at various levels and reach his mansion. He feels tired to do anything else, so decides to wash up and go straight to bed.

He is staring at his own tired form in the mirror, when he notices something in his neck. A thin red line. A very minute, slim line of dried blood. Chanyeol knows immediately that it’s a cut from a blade or a knife. Even for a human, it will heal in a day. For a fae it would have healed the very second. So it's probably something he acquired today. But he didn’t do any physical activity today at school. It was just history and literature. He is sure that it's not a paper cut.

Chanyeol lays in his bed racking his brain. He can’t remember any incident that could have caused it. He didn’t duel with anyone.

$$$

He had been contemplating about the cut before sleep claimed him. It’s almost midnight when he wakes up with a jolt. What if…. What if something had indeed happened and he can’t remember it. His paranoid brain supplies him various scenarios of what could have happened. He settles for the most likely yet worst option. He had met a fae who had been carrying a knife and the said fae was someone powerful enough to cast a complex enchantment that could erase a person’s memory. There is no other way he could have forgotten a knife pressed to his throat. Some one must have made him forget.

Such a strong enchantment, not like turning books into birds for a small time period. Liam, a high fae and someone who is said to be the most powerful fae in their school, could only turn books and pens into animals at max. Is this even enchantment or something else entirely? His mother can do some high level enchantments though she doesn’t have any elemental or special powers of her own. But she herself can’t do this. Besides her expertise is in warfare. This is cruel and a cunning move. Something a true warrior would never do. But not all fae are warrior like. There are a lot of sly ones.

Someone who could actually mess with people’s mind and doesn’t hesitate to do so. To say Chanyeol is scared is an understatement. He is petrified. He feels violated.

What had happened for someone to cast such an enchantment? Who had he crossed paths with? He is positive that like all other enchantments there will be a way to break it. That is how magic works. Words. Enchantments are ultimately words. Fae’s words have magic. They phrase it in such a way that it contains both a spell and a condition to reverse it. But it is usually impossible to break a curse as the task to be done in order to break the curse will be simply impossible. If it’s a boon then they will cast it in such a way that you will unknowingly nullify it so that it can be of no use to you. It’s a tricky thing and needs skill, experience and a certain craftiness.

The problem here is that he doesn’t remember who cast it or how he can get back the memories. He stays awake the whole night.

By dawn, Chanyeol comes to a decision. Chanyeol is smarter than most people give him credit for. He needs to just observe his surroundings more carefully. A fae that powerful and that cruel would not have left him alive with a small cut to his neck. If they had it means they didn’t want him dead. How could a human (he looks thoroughly human, people assume he is a human unless he says otherwise) like him be of any significance to a fae to be left alive. That means they know who he is. They know that he is the General’s son. The enemy is someone he knows. He needs to be more observant. Any change in his own behaviour would let them know that he has figured it out. So he must play the fool and simultaneously look for people who pay him special attention.

$$$

The next day at school, he is extra aware of his surroundings.

Sehun seems the same. Grumpy. Jongdae is whining as usual. He knows his friends would never do such a thing. Not to him. Jongdae can’t. Sehun won’t. But he still watches them just to see if they were also harmed like him or if they knew anything about the incident.

Liam is still making pens fly. After last night’s events, Chanyeol finds Liam’s antics childish. Suho comes late to class but looks the same as always. When their eyes meet he smiles at him like he always does. Chanyeol groans inwardly. No one else at school seems to pay him any thought. He concludes that maybe they were someone from the palace. He found himself standing near the palace’s back entrance last night. So that is the only other possibility.

No matter what he does, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched.

$$

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :) Do comment your thoughts!  
> And [here](https://twitter.com/syntaxanalyzer/status/1284783844059525121) is the map to the world this story is set in.


	3. Be mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.”_ – Mae West

Chanyeol dreams of someone stargazing. They look completely drenched like it had rained. He sees a pair of eyes full of vehemence. An engraved short blade. Thunder.

$$$

The day after tomorrow is the revel. Chanyeol spends the night busy deciding on what to wear for the revel. It is a well-known fact that the fae dress themselves scandalously for revels. But Chanyeol is not looking for a hookup. He wants to make a good impression on the High Lord. Chanyeol is trying his best to find an attire that makes him look presentable as well as uncompromising, more warrior-like. 

He spent the previous week trying to figure out who would have erased his memories. He had confirmed that it wasn’t someone from school but it still bothered him. He had visited the castle a little more often but then was questioned by his Mother and asked to leave. He barely escaped by giving some stupid excuse.

That’s when he hears the horses whickering outside. He doesn’t pay much attention to it. But the eerie silence that follows seizes his attention. He grabs his sword and makes his way to the stable. The mansion is utterly silent. He encounters two servants who are chatting in the hallway. He thinks of asking them to go check on the horses. But then decides to go check it for himself. He may even take Whirlway, his horse, for a ride to clear his mind.

Upon seeing him, the servants promptly bow and scatter away. He knows that the fae servants hate being forced to serve a demi fae. He ignores them most of the time unless he really needs something. But it hurts his feelings a little more than he likes to show.

He peeks into the stable and finds nothing that could have agitated the horses. There is no one around. He is about to take a step inside the stable when he hears someone say, “Isn’t it cumbersome to travel by horse? I suppose that’s the only way in the day court to go places unless you wish to walk by foot.”

Chanyeol turns around to find Suho leaning against a nearby wall. “Hello to you too?”, Chanyeol responds quite confused.

“How did you get here and what are you doing here?”

“I, unfortunately, walked all the way here. I could have just teleported but I didn’t want to spook you folks of the day court. And now I am talking to you. Why do you keep asking me the obvious?”

Suho’s stance, the way he talks and all about him appears different tonight. Chanyeol finds himself tongue tied. He recovers his composure and asks, “Why are you here?”

Suho inspects the stable for a second before he replies, “There are several reasons as to why I am here tonight. But here is one reason. I want to make a proposition.”

Nothing is making sense to Chanyeol. Suho though behaves friendly, has never actually had any conversation with Chanyeol. He really doesn’t have a clue of what this is about.

Suho continues without waiting for Chanyeol to respond, “I want you to be mine.”

Chanyeol is really not sure if Suho is flirting with him or is he a cannibal considering him as a prey. The moonlight accentuates Suho’s facial features. His midnight black hair. His pale face. He looks like a wraith. But a very attractive one, nevertheless. His canines shine bright when he speaks. Chanyeol’s left hand involuntarily goes to rest on his sword. The movement does not go unnoticed by Suho. Now, he is laughing, head thrown back, like he finds Chanyeol’s defence mechanism amusing.

Chanyeol’s patience has worn thin. “What exactly do you mean by that?”, he asks impatiently.

Suho again seems to consider before he speaks, “That too has several meanings. I want you to be my spy. I want you to serve as my eyes and ears in the day court. Be my emissary when needed.”

This throws him off. Chanyeol never in his life has considered becoming a spy. Not even in his worst dreams. Suho looks partly bored. He is looking at Chanyeol’s face as if he could read Chanyeol’s mind. Suho continues, “I’m not asking you to become my slave or something that doesn’t gain you any profit in return. I want you to work for me. Swear yourself to be loyal to me. And in return I am willing to make you the commander or adviser in the night court. A position within my authority.”

Tempting. But Chanyeol has a lot of doubts to be cleared first. “Why would you need a spy? I mean, are you not here to emphasize the mutual ‘trust’ between the courts?”

“You never know Chanyeol. I’m in a foreign court. My father wishes to say it is his way of displaying trust and good faith…” Suho sighs before he continues, “Anyway but that doesn’t mean all people in this court are welcoming me with open hands. There are people who hate me, despise me. Including you. So me wanting to have a confidant is not something unreasonable, is it?”

Chanyeol can understand Suho’s reasons. Suho proceeds, “You never know, maybe someone is plotting the new High Lord’s demise just like they did to the previous High Lord. Someone close to the High Lord may be plotting my death. I just want to be a step ahead. Safer.”

This startles Chanyeol. Rumours about the royal family going around in the commoners’ circle is different from having those speculations verified by someone who stays with them in the palace and that too a prince. He may be lying. But he doesn’t have any reason to lie, knowing well that if what he says is the truth then he and his father will be considered the main suspects. Maybe there is truth in it. But still, never trust a fae’s words completely. He can hear his Mom’s voice in his head. That advice is what has helped him survive all these years.

“I agree with what you are saying. I mean I get it….. But why me?”, he asks.

“It’s because you are the General’s son and someone who can easily get admittance into the High Lord’s circle if we play it right”, Suho’s answer is precise, to the point. “Let’s be honest with each other Chanyeol. I know you crave power. You are passionate and resolute. But you also don’t feel like you belong in the day court, do you? I’m offering you the best deal you can ever obtain as a demi fae. It’s your choice ultimately.” He shrugs, “But in case you deny I will have to make you forget that we ever met tonight.”

It takes Chanyeol a few seconds to fully understand what Suho had just said. Chanyeol’s hand beats his brain. His sword is now pointed at Suho’s throat drawing a small drop of blood. Even then Suho looks unbothered. When he smirks, Chanyeol pushes his sword a little more deeper. It should hurt but wouldn’t be enough to wound him. His cut is already healing.

“Consider this my display of good faith”, Suho finishes saying and Chanyeol’s memories of the other night come flooding in. He staggers back but still holds his sword raised. He remembers now. The encounter, the enchantment, everything. He is furious at the audacity and even considers killing Suho. But then you can’t kill a prince just like that and escape the consequences.

“How dare you? Why did you do that?”, Chanyeol seethes.

Suho attempts to remove the sword but upon seeing Chanyeol not obliging, he raises his hand as if to say he is harmless. Ironic. Suho says, “ I know I know I did something stupid that night. I just …. I acted impulsively. And for that I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol was not expecting him to apologise. Not that his apology would make Chanyeol feel any better. He isn’t even sure if he was really sorry. He said sorry. But his expression was not of remorse, but of some kind of confusion like he himself had no idea why he did it in the first place. That is Chanyeol’s confusion too. Chanyeol had not listened to some important conversation or had seen a secret meeting, but Suho still erased his memories.

Chanyeol lowers his sword but instead holds Suho’s collar in his free hand. “Do you have any idea how it made me feel after I found out that I was missing a chunk of my own memory? Do you have any idea of the numerous scenarios I imagined about how that encounter would have gone? Who gave you the right to play with my mind? …..I… genuinely thought you weren’t like the other fae who enchanted people for fun. I hated you. True. But I respected you too. I thought you were a good person. Now you have lost my respect and trust”, Chanyeol is shaking with ferocity and hurt. And now he does see a hint of hurt and guilt in Suho’s eyes. But then it’s gone in a second.

Suho wears a poker face as he says, “ I am sorry. I mean it. I did act purely out of instinct. But I never asked you to trust or respect me. I knew you hated me. So, I really didn’t think that this thing would change anything with respect to your opinion of me.”

“Are you really sorry? If you were, you wouldn’t be here saying that if I refuse your deal you will have to once again erase my memories”, Chanyeol steps away from Suho.

“I apologized for doing it that night without thinking it through. I never said that I wouldn’t do it again. There are certain things I must do, Chanyeol. I simply can’t let the son of the General walk away after having told him about my intentions and that I’m looking for someone to spy on the High Lord and his court. You should be happy that I’m not going to kill you.” He continues ignoring Chanyeol’s look, “Why? Did you think the high fae were angels ? That they care about morality? Especially when it comes to affairs of the royalty? You are a fae too. Demi fae or whatever. You have lived here all your life. You are the General’s son. You know how it works here better than anyone else. ”

Yes, Chanyeol knows. Chanyeol does not expect that sort of kindness or justice from the fae. Not in court affairs.

“And as far as being a good person, I don’t think I can afford that. Not in this lifetime. I have no idea why you thought of me that way”, Suho says.

Chanyeol finally manages to speak after what seems like eternity, “If you are truly sorry then prove it to me. I don’t know when I will settle into a full fae or if I will ever settle. Even if I do, I’m not sure how far I can withstand the powers of the high fae. It is not possible for me to vanish and live like another commoner in some corner of this kingdom in order to be safe. Besides that is not what I want. So here is my proposal. I don’t want to be enchanted ever again. Not by you or by anyone else. Can you do that for me? Can you cast an enchantment that can ward off other enchantments? I’m sick of being played by the fae. I know you are powerful but can you do this ? Will you?” Chanyeol can hear his own voice break.

Suho chuckles, “Yes, I am capable of doing such a thing. But what do I get in return? I think it’s quite clear by this time that I’m not an angel who grants wishes. Besides once I cast such an enchantment, then in case you deny my previous proposition I wouldn’t be able to make you forget this chat. So let’s settle that first.”

Chanyeol knows that meeting someone who is powerful enough and willing to cast such an enchantment is rare. He may never find someone else who can do this. His mother couldn’t. Most of the fae he has met can’t cast such powerful spells. Any other person who may be capable of doing it wouldn’t be keen to do it for him. This is his best shot at getting such an immunity.

The deal is not that bad either. He is being asked to spy. In return, he is being provided with an opportunity to become a high ranking official. This is what he always wanted. But in the night court. Not here. Not in the court he wanted to achieve it. By doing this, he is betraying his family and his court.

But he can’t forget how his own mother and the people of his court have acted. His Mom was hell bent on making him a warrior but she never thought of him one day working in the same office as her. No, it wasn’t because she wanted her son to figure it out on his own or not suffer what she went through. It was because there are no such instances of a demi fae holding enough influence in the court. If they don’t settle, they are ridiculed and made fun of all their life. Even if they do become a fae, it is not like they are going to earn any special respect. They may be able to perform some enchantments. But they can’t ward off powerful ones sent their way. They don’t come to possess elemental or other special powers that the high fae or fae-by-birth possess. Same is the case with humans who survive the transformation. Those who don’t, at least they don’t live after that to be scorned.

They say never make a decision when you are angry. Chanyeol’s anger and ego urges him to take the offer. His anger at the biased treatment and years of having to listen to insults urges him to take the offer. His ego that wants to forsake these people who didn’t give him equal rights makes him do this. Maybe this is not the right way to act against injustice. But he is not willing to go protest against it, all alone. The fae will put off such a rebellion even before it upsurges. Even if he doesn’t make it big, even if he doesn’t get the authority he wants, he will be able to acquire a very powerful immunity.

“Say I agree to the deal. How do I know that you will stay true to your words?”, Chanyeol asks.

“What do you want me to do? Sign a contract? That wouldn’t be of any use in this secretive business. Who will you complain to if I forfeit?”

“Promise you? I don’t think you have any high regards for a fae’s words. You just have to trust me”, Suho replies.

He thought he hated Suho for being a model student. He hates him even more when he is sarcastic and grumpy. Chanyeol is not dumb to trust his words. Not after knowing what happened. “Why don’t we do this all as one huge enchantment? ”

“Sure”, Suho looks vaguely intrigued.

$$$

“Nice room”, Suho comments as he skims through a book while Chanyeol is busy drafting an enchantment. He needs to be double sure of what words to use. There can be no loopholes. Once Suho casts it, there is no reversing. So, he is writing and rewriting again and again to get the right words in the right order.

Suho has already made himself at home. It really doesn’t look like this is the first time they have had a proper conversation and that too involved a sword. He is now lounging on Chanyeol’s bed, inspecting some object with a sparkle in his eyes.

‘Suho’, Chanyeol knows that it is not his real name. All fae go by their aliases.

“Where did you get this?”, Suho questions while showing him a pendant. It is a simple pendant made of a single huge stone. A single sapphire of the deepest blue that it almost looks black. Just like Suho’s hair. Initially, he thought it was black but it is actually deep ink blue that made it look almost black. Chanyeol doesn’t even remember how he came to possess it. “It looks pretty”, Suho assesses.

“I don’t know”, Chanyeol replies to his previous question.

“Here”, Chanyeol gives the paper to Suho.

He takes it and scans it for a second before smirking. Danger and charm dance together in his dark brown eyes. Chanyeol wonders if he is making a huge mistake.

$$


	4. Window

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”_ \- Noel Langley

_ “I, Junmyeon, descendent of Mab, draw power from the magic that resides in my blood to make my next words come true……” ,  _ Junmyeon says the line that he has said countless times before in his mind and then proceeds to read the words Chanyeol has written down. “No enchantment, that I can cast, shall take hold on Chanyeol irrespective of whether it is cast by me or anyone else, as long as Chanyeol serves me and stays loyal to me of his own free will.”

$$$

Chanyeol feels a slight tingling sensation in his skin as the enchantment takes hold. The air around them shimmers for a second. Suho appears like he has done this innumerable times. So Chanyeol stops himself from gaping.

“Okay, now what?”, Chanyeol asks. He is still half caught up in amazement.

Suho gives him a wide smile as he says, “We are going to put on a show.”

They spend the next two and a half hours in Chanyeol’s bed in an attempt to come up with a good plan. They analyse both pros and cons of every plan. They make sure there are no loopholes. It should be convincing. Suho is sprawled on Chanyeol’s bed pushing Chanyeol to one corner of his bed. For someone so tiny, he takes up way too much space. And Chanyeol is struggling to stay perched up.

“So that’s it. This is the only way. We have to do something heroic, show you in good light… you know. Like save the High Lord’s life”, Suho says with finality. Chanyeol agrees with it. But not if it means getting himself killed.

“And how do you propose we do that?”, Chanyeol asks.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure that harm finds the High Lord. All you have to do is be at the right place at the right time. Don’t worry you won’t be mortally wounded…..if you are careful enough. Besides, even if that happens, the High Lord will himself heal you and you will gain his trust more easily. It’s a win-win”, Suho says. Chanyeol grimaces. Chanyeol isn’t sure what to feel about Suho’s words.

Suho takes a look at his face, “Stop judging me. I would have done this myself if I could have. But no one is going to trust if an enemy prince miraculously happens to be the one to rescue the High Lord. It will be obvious that it’s a set up. And don’t worry, nothing serious will happen to you.”

“You are mad!”, Chanyeol belatedly realizes that he said it out loud.

Suho grins wide at that. Oh, he definitely looks like a mad man. “I suppose you can say that.”

Once they are done planning, Suho gets ready to leave. The sun is about to rise. A few rays are already peeking into his room through the half open window.

Suho has not elaborated on what type of danger he is going to put the High Lord through. But he assured him that it won’t be anything real huge. They don’t want to do anything that can be traced back to them. He is about to leave when Chanyeol asks him something that has been nagging on his brain for quite some time.

“Why do most fae go by aliases?” He sees Suho look at him in slight confusion. “I mean, my Mom has one but she doesn’t keep her original name a secret though. I don’t have a hidden real name. When I had asked her, she told me that it’s just a convention, not a compulsion. The high fae used to, so all fae adopted it. I mean, why do you people keep it a secret?”

“You have a lot of questions, I see. How about this? I will answer that question of yours if you get me some new information about the previous High Lord’s passing? A secret for a secret?”, with that he leaves. This time he doesn’t bother about spooking anyone. He simply vanishes in thin air.

Chanyeol doesn’t feel like he can sleep. He looks at the navy blue jacket that he had selected previously for the revel. His gaze falls on the pendant that Suho was playing with. It is now placed on top of his jacket. It matches with his choice of attire. Maybe he can wear it too.

$$$

The revel is at the palace’s common chambers. Earlier this morning, his mother gave him a small lecture on how to behave. He had not gone to school the previous day, so he hadn't met Suho after that night. He hands his horse to the servants and walks to the entrance of the palace. Sehun is there waiting for him.

“Blue suits you.” Sehun comments, then walks off. Sehun is wearing a dark red suit. If not for the constant frown on his face, Chanyeol would call him handsome too. They make their way inside. The hallway that leads to the hall is full of high fae and fae busy drinking and dancing. They really love dressing up. It's like a little kid’s painting, splash of bright colours all over the place. He spots a few humans and demi fae too, maintaining a careful distance from the fae beverages. He remembers the first time he tried them. The memory of that night also brings back other embarrassing memories of how he had acted after that. He squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to prevent that line of thoughts.

That’s when he spots Suho. He is wearing a black shirt with several of its buttons deliberately undone and a black tight fitting pants. It's not that revealing if you compare it with what a few fae are wearing. What catches Chanyeol’s attention is his cloak. It is also black or dark blue, Chanyeol isn’t sure. But then it gleams whenever he moves. Like tiny stars here and there. It looks like the night sky was woven into a fabric. There is a silver circlet on his head that seems to hold actual stars in a miniature size. He doesn’t look like a friendly classmate. He looks every inch like the fae prince of the Night court.

By that time, Suho also sees them. He smiles at both of them in acknowledgment and goes back to sipping his sparkling drink. Sehun is already making his way to grab a drink. Chanyeol busies himself inspecting the crowd and occasionally stealing glances at Suho. The High Lord is yet to join. He wants to go ask Suho about when they are going to execute the plan. But Suho made himself clear when he had told Chanyeol that Chanyeol would not approach him during the revel on his own.

Suho is busy having a word or two with every guest. He is not going deep into conversation with anyone but is moving from one person to another with a pleasant smile plastered on his face. A social butterfly.

That’s when the whole place goes silent for a second. Sehun is now next to Chanyeol. The High Lord enters accompanied by the members of his court. His hair is the colour of molten gold. He looks so young, that Chanyeol almost can’t believe that these people are all hundreds of years old. But the way he carries himself shows that he is a true Lord. There is certain maturity and worldly wisdom in his otherwise young face. This is the person he needs to gain the trust of. This is the person whose trust he will break later. He feels guilty even thinking about it. How was he going to put it to action? But he must. He has made his mind. He is not going to change it now.

The High Lord sits on the throne-like chair at the head of the table. Chanyeol finds it impossible to tear his eyes away from him.

Chanyeol sees out of the corner of his eyes Suho making his way towards them. He greets him and then goes to stand next to Sehun. However, he somehow trips over his own cloak and stumbles. Sehun is immediately there to catch him but the drink that Suho was carrying spills all over Sehun.

“Oh my God? What did I do?”, Suho says looking mortified. He fumbles with Sehun’s coat but that only smears the stain more. “It's okay, I’ll go clean up”, Sehun says sporting a mildly annoyed expression. Had it been Chanyeol, it would not have been ‘mild’. Chanyeol chuckles to himself.

Once Sehun leaves, Suho comes to stand beside Chanyeol. “Sorry”, Chanyeol says. Suho tilts his head as if asking ‘what’. “That’s what people usually say when they pour a drink on someone”, Chanyeol says offhandedly.

“Well, I’m not sorry. It was intentional. Now, you see there are strawberry tarts over there. Why don’t you go try them?”, Suho says.

“I don’t like strawberries'', Chanyeol says without thinking it through.

“Then go get me some.” Chanyeol doesn’t need to be told twice. He has an idea of what’s going on. He walks over to where the desserts are placed. The table is placed a little away from the main table where the court members are seated. He can see his mother discussing something with a minister. There are fae already munching on all kinds of food. Some drunk and lost in their own world. Some are dancing. A few are chatting. A few are making out. He somehow makes his way to the table.

There is an open window on the other side of the table. Cool breeze sweeps past him through the window. From here, he gets a clear view of the High Lord who is laughing at the antics of another silly fae. The table is diagonally placed just a feet away from the chair the High Lord is sitting on. The High Lord’s personal guards are standing on both sides of the High Lord but step behind him as a sign of courtesy. Not so smart. Chanyeol has a hunch of what is going to happen.

He is about to grab a plate when a knife flies in through the window. He is not even sure of what’s happening but then he hears the knife clatter to the ground a feet away from the High Lord’s feet. The guard nearest to him had moved as fast as possible to cover the Lord with his shield. But he was not fast enough. Chanyeol registers a little late that his left arm is bleeding.

The knife must have grazed his arm and that impact had slowed its speed causing it to deviate from its projectile. It had not made its way to the High Lord as it was intended to. Chanyeol has saved the High Lord unknowingly. He sees guards rush out to capture the offender.

The High Lord comes near Chanyeol in spite of the guards trying to stop him and takes Chanyeol’s arm in his hands. “I’m so sorry about this. My guards should have been more careful about who has access to the palace. This will not be forgiven easily.” The High Lord looks like he will burn his guards just by looking at them. The guards cannot even meet his eyes and are profusely apologizing. “And thanks for saving my life”, he turns his attention back to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol turns his attention to his arm as he notes a little tingling sensation on his arm. He watches the skin heal leaving not even a scar behind. He remembers his manners and bows to the High Lord. “It is my pleasure to be of any use to you, my Lord”, Chanyeol replies.

“Aren’t you the General’s son?”, he asks as he looks intently at Chanyeol. Chanyeol’s mother who rushed to the High Lord’s side immediately as soon as the fiasco had started answers for him, “Yes, my Lord.”

“Come sit with me, Chanyeol.” The High Lord guides Chanyeol to the chair beside him with a hand on his back. The others make room for him.

$$$

The revel continues after the High Lord asks them to not worry too much about the incident. He assured them that it will all be taken care of. But the revel is no more cheerful as it was. Everyone seems to be a little scared and uncomfortable. His mother has left saying that she herself wants to make sure that the culprit pays the prize for his audacity.

The High Lord raises his glass for a toast, “As much as you all and I are sad with my cousin’s demise, it's time to move on and make sure that his legacy is in safe hands. Let’s toast to a new beginning.” Every one cheer in response.

Chanyeol’s eyes find Suho’s. He had claimed the seat to the left of the High Lord and is now seated directly opposite to Chanyeol. His eyes twinkle in a secretive smile as he lowers his glass.

$$

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism are always welcome. If you would like to read more, leave me some motivation to continue.


End file.
